• Hair removal for fair-skinned, ''dirty-blonde''
• Hairy Daughters
• Shaving Legs
• Does waxing make hair thicker?
• Laser hair removal
• Mom's Facial Hair
• Teen's Facial Hair
• More recommendations for hair removal
• Waxing eyebrow, bikini

Hair removal for fair-skinned, ''dirty-blonde''

After reading all of the postings regarding hair removal, I went to an appointment with Dr. Mehrany of Dr. Rodan's group today (Dr. Rodan was recommended, but difficult to get an appt with). This was just for a consultation with no actual treatment. According to Dr. Mehrany, I am a poor candidate for laser hair removal due to the lack of contrast between my skin and hair color. Apparently the laser reacts to the pigment in the hair, if I understood correctly. Additionally, he said that laser hair removal should really be called ''temporary hair reduction'' vs. ''permanent hair removal'' because most individuals have to return at least 1-2 times annually to really remain ''nearly hairless.'' Then he went on to say that I surely could find someone who will tell me that I would experience positive results with laser hair removal, but I had better get a 3rd opinion in that case!

I have fair skin that doesn't tan easily and my hair is naturally a dirty blonde color (if you ask me it's more of a light brown without a little help from Clairol!) Anyhow, the bikini area is a major nuisance, because the hair is definitely dark enough to be noticeable when wearing a bathing suit. On my sensitive skin, shaving causes horrible razor bumps, waxing has often caused a reaction that is more unattractive than the actual hair, and a depilatory that seems to work the best is a huge hassle (smelly project that I need to allow time for). I would be willing to consider other hair removal options besides laser, but I'm curious about what the Doctor said today.

Please let me know if you have lighter coloring and have had a positive permanent hair removal experience. If so, what technique did you undergo, with whom, how costly, and any other details that might be helpful.

Thanks in advance! ''Hairy Blonde''

There are some other options.

One is electrolysis. I did this for awhile 10 years ago. I don't know if there are practitioners anymore, since laser is so popular and much quicker. Electrolysis takes a long time to achieve permanence, maybe a year of regular appointments, while the hair follicles become weaker and slowly die off.

Then, on to waxing. The bumps and reactions are typical, however, I've been told by a few people that if you do it regularly, two things happen. 1. your skin adjusts to it and you stop getting the bumps after awhile 2. the hair follicles, again, weaken, and over time, they become much softer and grow in much slower. So perhaps this is another method to kill off the hair, but it will require you to keep up with it for an extended period.

The downside to waxing is you have to wait until the hair is long enough before you wax it. I would coordinate a waxing to begin with the swimsuit season, to maximise your hairlessness. Then I'd probably shave for the rest of the summer (again, your skin will get used to it and the bumps will stop). Then get yourself on a regular wax regimen for the rest of the year and hopefully it will be less noticeable the following year. Since swimsuit season is mostly over, maybe just get started with regular waxing now, and see how far you get by 2006.

**I wish cute little bathing shorts were always the fashion so that we didn't have to work so hard on a tidy bikini line. anon

Laser hair removal works because the laser energy is picked up by the melanin pigment being made in the hair follicle as the follicle is actively growing a strand of hair. This pigment heats up and destroys the follicle. Laser hair removal does not work on hair without pigment such as light blond or grey hair because the follicles growing that color hair are not making melanin. Skin color has nothing to do with the response of hair follicles to an appropriate laser; only the color of the hair matters.

Multiple treatments are required for successful hair removal. Hair follicles cycle. The follicle grows hair, followed by a period of static hair presence, followed by the third part of the cycle when the follicle sheds its hair and remains hairless and dormant for a while. The follicle is only sensitive to the laser during the time it is growing the hair and actively making pigment. The treatments should be separated by 4-6 weeks, because by that time, the next group of follicles will come into the growth phase and those can be treated. The cycle of follicles on the body is different than those on the head which cycle much longer and therefore grow longer hair.

It is typical that after 3 treatments to the bikini area, you will have no hair for several months, followed by recurrence of hair in the treated area. This is not treated hair growing back, but follicles previously dormant coming into their growth phase. Usually two more treatments are required again at 6 week spacing to permanently eliminate a majority of the hair. Our bodies are constantly creating new hair follicles; we get hairier on our bodies and less hairy on our heads (unfortunately) with age. These new follicles will need touch up treatments intermittently. However, the majority of hair follicle creation on our bodies occurs during puberty, so if you are past that, a series of 4-6 treatments will leave you essentially hairless in the area treated.

The best hair removal laser is the Gentlelase by Candela. It is used exclusively for hair removal and does a wonderful job. This laser costs $200,000.00 and so is not owned by most physician offices. Also, laser technology is updated almost as quickly as computers, so it is expensive to keep up with the best available. My office works with a company who provides the laser for the day. We bring in the Gentlelase on the hair removal day and the V-beam on the day for vascular lesions so we know our patients are receiving the most effective treatment for their particular problem. Our patients love this procedure and if your bikini area hair has any pigment in it, you can absolutely be treated successfully with the Gentlelase. You will never need to shave in the treated areas after the initial 4-6 treatments and spot touchups of the occassional new follicle 1-2 times per year is easy and will keep you essentially hairless. Don't lose hope! Feel free to call the office for more information.
Elizabeth Lee, MD, Plastic Surgery

Hairy Daughters

I have three girls, ages eight, five, and three. All three have ample hair on their heads--nothing outrageous, though. But, soon after their second birthdays, all three began to grow body hair on their arms, legs, and especially on their backs! I don't mean the light, goose-down hair that most people have. I mean dark hair, and a lot of it (it is long, too. It is not 'peach fuzz'). They have more than the usual amount of hair on their arms and legs, too. The eight (almost nine) year old is getting some light brown hair on her upper lip (though it is still slight). She is in the third grade, and is getting very self conscious about it, asks why she is so hairy, and says she does not want to wear shorts because of the hair on her legs. She has a lot of hair on her arms, and kids are starting to say that she is hairy and so on. The fact is, she IS hairy. I try to shrug it off for her, but I am wondering at what age can she do something about it (what can she do?), and if it is going to get worse (it seems that the older the girls get, the more hairy they become). The pediatrician thinks that it is simply their genes (I am not hairy, by the way), and they may get less hairy at puberty (or more, if possible). Does any one else have ''hairy girls,'' and if so, what happened at puberty? When can children bleach/wax/do whatever? My shrugging it off has worked up until now, but as my eldest daughter gets older, she is more and more wounded by the comments of others, and more aware that she is ''different'' in this way. Mama to Fuzzy Babies!

Does waxing make hair thicker?

I have a few hairs in my chin area that I regularly tweez out. I've been thinking of having it waxed which would be easier but I'm concerned that waxing may cause the other tiny normal hairs to grow longer and thicker like the problematic ones. Does anybody have any info on this beyond urban myths? anon.

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